One of the Wabash Kiwanis Club’s most important events of the year will take place next week and support from the community is needed.
The local service organization will host its annual Pancake Day this weekend as it serves as the local service organization’s largest annual fundraiser.
The event will be from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at the newly renovated Bruce Ingraham building at the Wabash County Fairgrounds, located just off of Gillen Avenue in Wabash. Pancakes (with or without blueberries) will be available, along with sausages and drinks.
Tickets will be $8 at the door and $7 in advance for adults (13 years and older) and $5 at the door and $4 in advance for children (ages 6-12 years). Admission for the event will be free for children 5 years and younger.
After a few years of absence, the Pancake Eating Contest will return thanks to the efforts of the Club’s president-elect, Mike Keaffaber, who’s the fundraiser’s chairperson for 2020. The Contest is sponsored thanks to the generosity of Midwest Eye Consultants.
Currently, Keaffaber has secured several representatives from community organizations to participate in the Contest, including the Wabash County YMCA, the Wabash City Fire Department, Grow Wabash County, Northfield Jr. – Sr. High School, Southwood Jr. – Sr. High School and Young Professionals of Wabash County.
The contest will begin at noon the day of the event. The winner will be determined by who can consume the most whole pancakes in five minutes. The winner will take home a themed trophy made by Paul Mirante of Wabash Engraving, and bragging rights of their accomplishment.
Previous winners of the event include Brooks Flohr and current Wabash County Sheriff Ryan Baker.
“We’re looking for this to be our best Pancake Day to date,” Keaffaber said. “But we can only do that if we have more $150 sponsors and guests at the event, so we hope for a great turnout for this annual tradition.”
The event allows the Club to continue its many service projects in the area, including support of Key Clubs at Wabash and Northfield high schools, support of K-Kids clubs at O.J. Neighbours and Sharp Creek elementary schools, sponsorship of the Wabash County Spelling Bee, renovating local park playgrounds, continuing the Club’s fifth grade book program, supplying the Kate’s Kart book cart at Parkview Wabash Hospital and more.
Wabash Kiwanis also supports youth and community-focused initiatives like Riley Hospital for Children, the Eagles Theatre renovation, FAME, the Honeywell Foundation’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) and Educational Outreach programs, the Wabash County Scholarship Pageant, Founder’s Day, Wabash Area Community Theater, the Wabash High School volleyball team’s Kills for a Cure fundraiser and more.
Sponsorship opportunities for businesses for Pancake Day are available by contacting Kiwanian Donna Siders at donnasiders@hotmail.com or 260-571-1892. Sponsors would receive complimentary tickets to the event and on-site recognition in exchange for their support for $150.
“The success of this event depends on a lot of the sponsorships that we get,” Siders said. “And while we hope to have more sponsors this year than we did in 2019, financial gifts of any kind are appreciated to help support us and our mission of bettering the Wabash community one child at a time.”
Those who have questions or ideas regarding the event can contact Keaffaber at keaffaberm@msdwc.k12.in.us.